Roasted Beet & Farro Risotto

So we had kind of a throw-back weekend. No, we didn’t hang out with old friends or visit some place we used to live. We rented a movie. Like from a movie store. And then we went to a book store. And bought a book. I know – who are we? It felt so weird, yet SO GOOD! We were talking with some friends on Friday night about the movie The Princess Bride and came to find out Tom & our friend had never seen it! What?? After thoroughly searching online and our on-demand listings we realized that we were going to have to find another way to get this movie.

We went to Marblehead and found a great movie local store that has stood the test of time. The owner was so friendly & genuine and it took him all of .1 seconds to find the Princess Bride for us. It made me realize how I truly miss the act of actually going to pick out a movie. It was always such a fun date night but it seems to be a thing of the past.

Well, it certainly won’t be the last time we visit this place, if only to support a local business and keep it afloat. I’m looking forward to starting a new weekend tradition for us 🙂

In some other exciting news, we just booked a trip to Spain in March. I can’t WAIT! I have a friend who lives in Valencia and we’ve been talking about going forever so we decided to just bite the bullet and buy the tickets. I wish we could do that more often. Whenever we plan a vacation it takes weeks of scanning the internet, reading stupid reviews and second-guessing ourselves which ultimately ends in no plans. This time, we chose some dates, asked my friend if they worked for her and hit the “purchase” button!

I am seriously so excited, I’ve started taking some online Spanish lessons so I can brush up on my skills.

Ok, so what’s this little pile of risotto I keep showing you? It’s delicious, that’s what it is. And as far as risotto goes, it’s pretty darn healthy. I don’t know about you but whenever I see those risotto recipes that call for an hour of mixing in little parts of broth at a time, I run away screaming. That’s why I’ve kept this recipe simple. Just heat up the broth, add it to the onions & farro and throw it in the oven until it’s done. Now that’s what I call a risotto recipe!

I’ve included the beet roasting part in the recipe but if you’d like to make it easier on yourself, just roast the beets the day before you make this. Or better yet, buy those handy cooked beets they sell at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. If you’d like to keep this even healthier, omit the gorgonzola. BUT we can all stand to have a little cheese in our lives, because cheese is what makes life worth living.

Enjoy!

WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY:

The book store!

We went to the book store this weekend to get some Spanish guide books and an audio lesson so we could brush up on our Spanish. I feel seriously guilty about how long it’s been since we’ve been to a book store. Tom found the same CD set we were going to buy in the store for $10 cheaper online but I told him we were buying it there. I like to support them when I can, I don’t want to imagine a world with no bookstores.

They are always so relaxing and full of opportunity. You browse the isles and become instantly inspired by all of the things you could learn, all the places you could go, all the things you could be. Do yourself a favor and go to the bookstore this weekend, your life & community will be better for it.

Directions

1.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove greens from beets, wash, chop & set aside. Peel beets using a vegetable peeler and cut into small cubes. Create a small pouch out of aluminum foil and place the beets in the foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper & a little dried rosemary. Crimp the top of the foil to create a closed pouch. Roast beets for 30-40 minutes or until soft.

2.

Heat broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.

Add farro to the onions and toast for a few minutes stirring often. Add the white wine and cook until reduced (a few minutes).

4.

Add boiling broth to the mixture and stir in salt, pepper, rosemary & garlic powder. Transfer to 400 F oven and cook for 35-40 minutes until liquid is absorbed & farro is cooked.

5.

Remove from oven and stir in parmesan cheese, gorgonzola & beet greens until wilted. Mix in the roasted beets and serve garnished with gorgonzola cheese.